Lots of site news this week, and a few changes to Hot Mess that I can’t wait to tell you about!

The first thing to mention is that we’re going to be updating more often. For now, we’ll be keeping to the same comic schedule, but you’re going to see lots more blogging from Diana and myself.

Second, we’re going to announce the winners of the Hot Mess art contest this upcoming Wednesday! We’ll post the winning entry in the comic space on the site.

And there’s something else I want to share:

It is impossible to be around a Pug and not instantly be in a better mood.

Just look at this:

She's truly a weirdo

Seriously, just look at that.

That’s Izzy. She is, to put is gently, the weirdest dog I’ve ever known. I’ve had her since she was 8 weeks old, and ever since she was a tiny puppy, she’s been a food obsessed, attention hogging, Mogwai-looking spaz. In fact, until the age of 1, every time anyone would pick her up, she’d get so excited that she’d violently wiggle, making it impossible for most people to hold her longer and a few seconds. Really self-defeating, if you think about it. On top of that, she’s oddly skinny, especially for a Pug. She used to go on 5k runs with me – a very un-puglike thing to do. Instead of barking, she whines in very animated, long-winded diatribes. She’s also kind of a bully. Oh, and she can stick her ears up like a bat when she wants to look like she’s paying attention to you.

So, anyway, as a thank you to all the pugs out there who make everyone they meet that much happier, I’m going to occasionally post some pug-related news.

Our very own Diana Falzone got the chance to ask the legendary Stan Lee, creator of such little-known comic icons like Spider-man, The X-Men, The Hulk, Iron Man and the Avengers, a few questions for the great people over at Under the Radar. Click Here for the full post, and read an excerpt below!

Falzone: Some people may not know that you were in the Army and served in the Signal Corps. What was your experience like serving?

Lee: Hours before I was to ship overseas to be a telephone line repairman for troops in combat, someone learned I had written comics and I was yanked out of my assignment and sent to Astoria, Queens where the Signal Corps had a training film division. My job was to write training films and to create visual training aids for the troops—which I did.

Falzone: Since you were so young in the industry, did you ever feel that you had to prove yourself more than your older coworkers?

Lee: Absolutely. It’s strange; even though I’m quite a bit older now; I still always feel the need to prove myself.

Falzone: Was there a particular person who mentored you in the comic book business?

Lee: Yes, one person. There was my publisher, Martin Goodman. Simon and Kirby didn’t stay long enough to mentor me and there was no one else.

Falzone: You’ve created some of the most recognizable comics of all time. Is there one particular comic or character that remains your personal favorite?

Lee: I love ‘em all. Whichever one I was writing was my favorite at that time!

Falzone: What advice do you have for soldiers looking to get into the comic book field?

Lee: Depends. If someone wants to be an artist, just draw up some sample pages—with original drawings, not copies—and send them to one of the editors. For one who wants to be a writer it’s more difficult. The best course is to sell something in another field—a TV script, or a movie script, or a novel—then uses that as a “door-opener” with a comic book editor. You see there are so many “name” writers eager to write comics today, that there’s really no reason for an editor to hire someone who isn’t very experienced.

There’s a lot more of the Q & A over at Under the Radar, and quite a few tidbits & trivia I never knew about the prolific creator. Great stuff!

This has actually happened to me on a number of occasions. I’ve had to run out of my house or apartment, dripping wet, and hope that someone nearby can do me the very odd favor of letting me use their shower – after a very awkward conversation, of course. I think Anna got off easy with this one.

Ok, sorry, we’re back! We had to swap out the images. A few of you eagle-eyed fans saw that the word balloons were the wrong color – and you were right. We actually made this strip early on before we decided to color code the balloons, and never went back to change them. We are sheepish